Automatic power-operated racking mechanism for knitting machines



July 28, 1925.

* E. F. CUMISKEY AUTOMATIC POWER OPERATED BACKING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 27; 1921 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 28, 1925. 1,547,859

E. F. CUMISKEY AUTOMATIC POWER OPERATED BACKING MECHANISM FOR'KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 27, 1921 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 attorney Jul 23, 1925.. v

- E. CUMISKEY v AUTOMTIC POWER OPERATED BACKING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES 'F'iled'Augg'i; 1921. TSheets-She et July 28,1925. r 1,547,859: 1

' E. F. CUMISKEY AUTOMATIC POWER OPERATED BACKING MECHANISMFOVRV KNITTING macglfnfis Filed Aug. 27, 1921 *risneesf-she t 4 Jul 28, 11925.

n I E. F. CUMISKE Y" AUTOMATIC POWER onnumn BACKING MECHANISM FOR KNYITTIVNG menu Es "Filed 2' 1921" j 7 sheets-sheet 5 I w N w July'zs. 1925.

"1,547,859 E. F. CUMISKEY I v 7 I Au'i'buATIc fwna OPERATED BACKING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING iaAcmNEs Filed Aug. 27. 1921 7 Sheets-Sheet '6 :1

July 28, I925.

' E. FiCUMISKEY I AUTOMATIC POWER OPERATEDRACKING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug: '27, 1921 I '7 Sheets-Shee 7' Patented July 28, 1925.

UNITED STATES,

EDWARD FRANK CUMISKEY, or MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin.

AUTOMATIC POWER-OPERATED BACKING MECHANISM FOR K1 TITTING.MACIIINES.

Application filed August 27,1521; Serial No. 495,928.

To all' whom'c'z may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD FRANK CUM- ISKEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of WViScon-sin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Power-Operated Racking Mechanisms for Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to flat bed knitting machines, and particularly .to means de-' i signed to cause the automatic racking of the tively shifting the needle beds of flat knitneedles, this means being adapted either as an attachment to be used in converting flat hand knitting machines to power operated knitting machines or being built in as part of new machines, the machine being either driven by an electric motor, by a belt, or being either plain, semi-automatic or full automatic. v

The general objectjof the invention is to provide pattern controlled means for causing the needle beds of flat knitting machines to move from center to center of the needles in either direction.

A further object is to provide pattern controlled. power operated means for relating machines of such character that many ditl'erent kinds of work can be performed with the attachment, andmore specific-ally to provide a machine of this character so designed that it may bequickly adjusted or set up for any of the following parts of garments: backs, fronts, sleeves, pockets, cut collars, borders, zigzag patterns, and in fact to provide pattern controlled means whereby anything that can be made upon a fiat bed knitting machine by hand can be made.

automatically.

do away with the use of apattern chain, the

pattern wheel being'simpler in construction,

costing but a fraction of what chain attach- 'ments cost to operate, and being capable of being set up in half the time it takes to set up [a chain or other pattern control ma-v chines.

A still further object is to provide these I pattern wheels with removable pins which may be easily put 1n placeand removed andwhich control the shifting of the needle bed,

- and in this connection to provide means whereby. after the pins are once set up they may be locked n placeso as toprevent any possible accidental shifting or disengagement of the pattern producing pins.

I with a single wheel with any special number of teeth. r

Still another object is to provide meanscontrolled by the pattern wheels whereby the machine is automatically stopped on any round desired, this stoppage of the machine at anynumber of rounds the garment may require permitting the changing of yarn,- decking, widening or fashioning of the goods being made on the machine, which, of course, is done by hand and furthermore causes the garments or work to be made uniform in length A further object is to provide a' single action dog to operate the rack cam, said dog being so designed as to be positive in its action so that it will be practically impossible for it to be wedged or broken and which cannot engage twoopposite teeth at the same j does not have to move the machine in place And a further object is to control the rela tiveshifting of the needle beds by means of one or a plurality of pattern wheels and toferring of-stitches or carrying on any other work necessary in the operation of the knit ting machine.

Other objects will appear in the course of T the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure'l is a front elevation of a knitting machine. constructed in accordance? with my invention;

- -Figure 2 15a top plan View of the construction shown in Figure 1, but with the needle beds and the knitting mechanism 1 for the needles removed.

I CO

shifting cam;

F i 'ure' 7 is an elevation of the needle a b I I r 1 bed shifting ratchet and its locking means;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the needle bedshifting yoke with which the cam 81coacts; L

Figure 9 is" a perspective View of the double dogfor'actuatingtheratchet 76 and of therocker arm;

Figure 10' is a perspective view of the track member for supporting the double dog Figurell is a' persp'ective View of the lever 121;

Figure 12 Isa-cross sectional view through the tablelO, showing in elevation the clu'tch actuating device Figure 131s a perspective vlewof the clutch shifting lever Figure 14' is a longitudinal sectional view of the clutch;

Figure 15 is a perspective view of the kiii 'iock oif rod whereby theclutch is knocked o Figure'lti is a erspective View o f'the patterndo s'; I

Figure-1r is a fragmentary edge elevation of thepatter'n wheels sho'win'g 'how the patternTw'heels are mounted Figure 18'is" a perspective view of the automatic stop mechanism;

F'gure 19 is'a perspective view of the bracket supporting theki'iitting machine face views of the two Figure 20- is aperspeet-ive 'view of the member connecting" the movable needle bed' to theyoke in'Figure 2;

Figure '21 is an" elevation of the 'conjoined cams 1'03' and 124';

Figure 22 is a section-on the line 22 22" Orr-1 21;

Figure 23 is a sectional view-showingthemeans for holdmgihe'cams 1Q4'and 103 in place;

Figure 24 is a perspectivedetail of one of the pattern pins;

Figures 25 and 26 are inside fieginfeiitary pattern wheels 115 and 116.

Referring to these-drawings, it will be" seen that I have illustimted therein a flat be'd'knitting machine ofthe ordinary type,

wherein the usual carriage is provided and a slide therefor, andwlie'reii'itl'ie needle bed is shiftable. The needles'are'arranged in two straight, parallel rows and the fabric passes down betweenthem as it is knitted.

The two rows of needles are disposed opp'o'site each other in grooves in the steel needle beds 8 and 9, the two sides of which beds slope from each other and which are separated at their upper ends so that the needles may form the stitches. The usual carriage is propelled by crank back and forth over the needle bed, the carriage supporting a lock forshifting' each row of. operating needles up and down in the up and drawn down by the cams forming stitches with one revolution of the usual crank. In using'machin'es of this cl'ia'ra'cter the stitches may be varied by shifting the,

movable needle bed=9 relative tothe stationary needle bed 8. The movable bed is shifted' in' either direction according to the distance between the needles.

As before stated, the object of this invention'is to provide means whereby this-mow able needle bed may be shifted relative to the fixed needle bed' to an extent depending uponthe shifting of the cam with'which the machine is provided, as will-hereafter ap ear.

eferring to the drawings, 10 designates a plate or table above which the needle beds are mounted ,--th-is plate or table being provided with legs 11 whereby it may be supported, and engaged with each other by longitudinal and transverse braces'12and 13. V This table is bolted 'to the legs andmay be made in any suitable manner. Bolted upon one end of the table 10 is'a supporting plate 14: which is provided with bearings for the support of a shaft 15 and with bearings for the support of aparallel s'haft'ltig and with reari'vardly projecting arms 17 formed at their ends to provide beari'n-gsfor a handle shaft 26, as will later appear.

Mounted upon the shaft 15 is afi-Xed' cone clutch member 18, (see Figures 3 and 14) and slidably mounted upon this'shaft 15 is a gear wheel 19 which, as illustrated, is milledl While I have referred to this wheel as being a gear wheel, Ido not wish to be limited to this, as will hereafter appear. This gear wheel 19 is slidable upon the shaft 15 and coac'ts with the cone clutch member 18 so that when'the' wheel 19 is shifted toward the clutch member 18 in Figure 2, it will engage the clutch 18 and power will be'transmitted from the wheel 19 to the shaft 15, and vice versa when this wheel 19 is shifted away from the clutch member 18 it will run freely upon-the shaft 1 This gear wheel 19 is illustrated in Figure 3 as being driven by a gear wheel 20 mounted upon the shaft 16, this shaft carrying at its outer end the pulley wheel 21 which is illustrated as connected by a belt to the electric motor 22. Preferably the gear wheel 19 is housed within the cover or shield 23.

The shaft 15 carries upon it a pinion 24, which in turn engages a relatively large gear wheel 25 mounted upon a shaft 26 supported'in bearings on the arms 17. The

gears 24 and 25 are preferably housed or I handle 28 carries upon it a socket 29 from which a link rod 30 runs to the carriage to which it is pivot-ally connected. It will be obvious, therefore, that as the handle 28 is operated, the shaft 26 will be rotated and at the same time the link 30 will be reciprocated, thus reciprocating the carriage; This is the usual and ordinary manner of reciprocating the carriage and forms no particular part of my invention. The crank arm' 27 is U-shaped in cross section, and inserted in the recess so formed is a longitudinally extending bar 31 which forms the means for adjusting the length of stroke of the machine to the proper travel of the carriage according to the work that is to be made; Forming part of the hub of the crank arm 27 is a weight 32 projecting out oppositely to the crank arm so as tocounterbalance the same and make the machine steady in operation.

It will be obvious now, that assuming the gear wheel 19 is engaged with the clutch member 18 that power communicated to the shaft 16 will be transmitted through the gear 20 to the gear 19 and thence to'gear 24, thence to gear 25, thence to shaft 26 and so to the handle 27 and the carriage will be reciprocated, and vice versa the carriage may be reciprocated and the knitting machine operated by turning the crank arm 27 by hand.

In order to provide means for shifting the gear wheel 19 which forms a clutch member and shifting this gear wheel quickly and accurately to clutch or unclutch the machine, I provide an oscillatable disk 34 (see Figure 2 and Figure 12) having a stud This disk is mounted on a vertical bolt 35 extending through the slide 36'which is slidably engaged over an aperture 37 in plate 10 and is adjusted by means of an adin-sting screw 38. Mounted upon a stud 33 is a lever 40 which constitutes a shipper lever, this lever being provided at one end with the usual shipper fork 40 adapted to be connected in, the usual manner to the hub of the shiftable gear wheel 19. It will verse direction the clutch 18 and the gear wheel 19 will be engaged with each other. The stud 33 passes through an elongated aperture 33 in the end of the lever 40.

The disk 84 is provided with a handle 41 whereby the disk may be rotated.

It will be obvious that when the disk handle 41 is shifted away from the operator who stands in front of the machine that the clutch will be thrown out and that when the handle 41 is shifted toward the operator the clutch will be thrown in and that this lever 40 is operated by means of the crank action of the stud This action is very quick and certain. The device is extremely simple, practical and inexpensive, and by turning the adjusting screw 36 the initial position of the clutch can be readily set. This device is positive in its adjustment and needs no attention whatsoever and by its use, because of the quickness of its action, the machine can be stopped at either end of the stroke so that the operator does not have to bring the machine in place by hand at the end of a stroke to transfer stitches, narrow,

or do any other work necessary. Of course, it will be understood that the fork 10* is provided with the usual bronze shoes which reduce as much as possible the wear of this fork in relation to the hub of gear 19. This handle 41 is operatively connected, as will be later stated, to automatic means for shifting the handle to release the clutch.

In order to automatically stop the machine by means of suitablyadjusted stop pins on the pattern wheels, as will hereafter appear, I mount beneath the plate 1 1 in suitable bearings a double-armed trip lever 64: (Figures 1 and 18) which embraces the pattern wheels and which is mounted upon the shaft 65 having an arm 66, this arm having a convexly curved edge face 67.

Mounted above the table 10 is a stop bar or' rod 68, one end ofwhich is angularly bent, as at 69, so as to extend beneath the clutch operating handle 11, the other end of this barbeing engaged by the edge face 67 of the arm 66. A spring 70 acts to urge the stop rod 68 in a direction to cause its an l t l Cal side'of the extremity of the rod 68, lifting this end ofthe rod so that its notch 71 clears 'theflange of'th'e holding plate 7 2or latch and then the spring acts to retract'this rod 68 so as to shift the clutch handle 41 and thus shift the clutch to its ofi position. This rod 68 is guided by means of a guide 7 3 bolted to the table 10.

For the purpose of causing the racking of the needle bed, Imount upon the plate 14 asupporting plate or bracket 74 which is provided with bearings for a transversely extending shaft 75. This shaft carries upon it a'ratchet wheel'or disk 76 (see Figures 4 and 7) having two series of reversely ar ranged teeth '77 and 78. I have illustrated the ratchet as provided with three teeth 77 and three teeth 78 and a tooth 7 9 which is disposed on the diametrical plane of the ratchet and which coacts with either of the sets of teeth 77' and 78. It will be understoodthat I have illustrated four teeth in each'set but that the ratchet wheel may be milled to provide a greater number of teeth.

The teeth are arranged to produce a one and the cam 81 which is also mounted upon this shaft cannot move after the ratchet and the cam have been adjusted by the rack dog. This ratchet is designed to cause an oscillation of the shaft '7 5, and mounted upon the shaft is the cam 81 (Figure 6). Disposed upon the shaft for reciprocating movement is a slotted yoke 82 (Figure 8) formed at its middle with an elongated slot 83 through which the shaft 75 passes, this yoke at its ends being provided with two rollers 84 which bear against opposite faces of the cam 81. One of these rollers is fixed and the other roller is adjustable by means of the adjusting screw 85. This yoke 82 has an inclined upper face 86 formed with belt holes for engagement with an angular arm' or plate 87 (Figures 1 and 20) whose opposite end is engaged with the needle bed 9 by the bolts 88. It will be obvious now that as'the shaft 75 is oscillated, the cam 81 will causea reciprocation of the yoke 82 and of the needle bed to an extent depending upon the degree to which the cam 81 is' turned.

It will be understood, of course, that this cam 81 is milled to suit the gauge of the needle bed. The means illustrated in Fig 76, provide a doubletoothed feed dog 91 (Figu're's4 and 9') The teeth 92 and 93 of thisfe'ed dog are spaced apart such a distance that when-one of the teethis' in en gagement with the ratchet, the other will be out of'engagement with the ratchet and that when this feed dog is in a neutral position, neither of the teeth will be engaged with the ratchet or affect the ratchet in any ;way. This feed dog is mounted for vertical a'dgustive movement and for longltudlnal in form and terminates at its lower end in a downwardly extending tongue 95. Between its ends the rocker rotates on a stud 96 carried on an arm 97 projecting from a bracket attached to the under face of the plate 14. This arm is forked at its rear endto provide bearings 98 and 99 for the shafts 26 and 104, as illustrated in Figure 4. The lower extremity of the rocker is connected to a spring 100. The rocker is bifurcated at its upper end for the reception of the rear end of the feed dog 91 which is pivoted to the rocker, as at 101, and the rear end of the rocker carries a roller 102. Disposed upon the shaft 26 immediately behind this roller 102 is an elliptical cam'103 and as this cam revolves it causes the rocker to reciprocate toward and from the ratchet wheel 76, the spring acting to shiftthe upper end of the rocker toward the cam 103 and keep the roller102 in contact with this camj It is necessary to provide means whereby the ratchet wheel 76 may be moved in one direction or the other and this is the reason a ratchet.

To this end, I mount upon a stud 104 carried on the extremityxof the bracket 98 the pattern controlled lift levers 105 and 106, (see Figure 16) these levers being duplicates of each other. Each leverv rearward of its pivotal axis 104 is provided with a tail 107 which tails are used to lift these levers by hand and to turn the pattern wheel by hand, as will be later explained. Each of these levers'on its under side and intermediate its ends is formed with a downwardly extending tooth or lug 108, these lugs on the two levers 105 and 106 being controlled by pattern pins, as will hereafter appear. The forward end of each lever is shown as having pivoted to it an angularly bent member 109 providing what may be called a track 110, these two tracks extending beneath a transversely extending, cylindrical pm 111 on the bottom of the feed dog 91. Each of these'members 109 has a downwardly extending arm 112, and a spring 113 is con nected to the lower end of this arm andto the corresponding pattern lift lever. This spring acts to'urge the member 109 upward but a stop 114 prevents the spring from raising the track 110 above a certain height. This spring actuated track 110 acts to safeguard against breakage of the pattern lift levers 105 and 106 which, if they were impeded in their movement orbecame wedged, would have a tendency to break. By the provision of this resilient safety device 109, however, all possible chance of breakage is eliminated.

There are two pattern wheels 115 and 116 and these are mounted upon a stud 117 carried by a downwardly depending bracket 118 (see Figures 4 and 17). This bracket is formed with an upwardly extending lug- 119 which has an aperture'for a pin or stud 120, and mounted upon this pin or stud is a feed lever121 which is disposed, as illustrated in Figure 17, in spaced relation to the outside face of the pattern wheel 116. This lever 121 below its pivotal support 120 is -.provided with a tail 122, to which a contractile spring 123 is attached, which spring is also attached to the bracket 118 (see Fig ure 4). The upper end ofkthis feed lever 121 is thus urged rearward and against an ..ielliptical cam 124 mounted uponthe shaft 26. The upper end of this feed lever carries a roller 125 against which the cam 124 engages, and below this roller the feed lever is provided with a laterally projecting pin *upon which is mounted a'feed dog 126 which extends across both pattern wheels. It will be obvious now that as the cam 124 is rotated, an oscillating motion will be given to the feed lever 121 which will cause the feed dog to act upon the teeth 127 of the pattern wheels and to give .a step by step motion to these pattern wheels.

The pattern wheels 115 and 116 are rotatably supported by the bracket 118 upon .a stud or bearing 117 (see Fig. 17). Each of these pattern wheels is formed with a hub 128 and these pattern wheels are spaced apart by a spacing washer 129. Between this washer 129 and the pattern wheels are disposed fiber friction washers 130 and between the hub of the pattern wheel 126 and the bearing on bracket 118 is also a friction washer 130. Disposed outward of the hub of pattern wheel 115 is a spacing washer 131 which is keyed to the pin 117 to prevent it turning, and between this washer 131 and the adjacent hub is another fiber friction washer 130. Bearing against the washer 131 is a coiled compression spring 132, which in turn is engaged by a disk or washer 133, which in turn is engaged by a nut 134 on the reduced extremity of the spindle 117. The whole purpose, ofthese several washers 129, 130. 131. 133 and the spring 132 is to cause sufficientfriction on the pattern wheels to 136, as will appear hereafter.

prevent the wheels from moving too freely.

- If it were not for these washers, the pattern wheels would not stay in place but would move ahead or backward. In other words, they would overrun. The friction washers, however,constitute means whereby friction is applied to the pattern wheels to prevent any overrunning and to hold them in the placeto which they are turned or shifted by the feed lever 121.-

' As before stated, the peripheral faces of both of the wheels 115 and 116 are provided with ratchet teeth 127 with which the feed dog 126 engages. At one point in the periphery of each wheel a tooth is cut out, as at 135, (see Figure 4) and after the feed dog v126 has oscillated the number of times that there are teeth 127 upon a wheel and arrives at the space 135, that particular wheel will stop. Each wheel may have any number of teeth but for illustration I will assume that each wheel has 250 teeth 127. Extending from the outside face of each wheel are a number of holes or sockets 136 designed for the reception of certainpattern pins 137.- These pattern pins are provided with rollers. (See Figure 24.) Any number of pattern pins may be set in the holes There are 250 sockets or holes 136 'in the outer row of holes, each hole being disposed immediately mediately beneath the cut-out portion 135,

that is the points on the peripheries of each wheel where a tooth is omitted. Inward of the series ofholes 138 is a series of holes 139 in which stop pins 140'may be placed, these stop pins being adapted to engage and shift the stop dog 64. Now it will be under-' stood that the pins 137 and the holes 136 and 138 are intended for the purpose of actuating the pattern lift levers 105 and 106, while the pin or pins 140 disposed in any one of the holes 139 are for the purpose of stop-V ping the machine. 7

Only one of the wheels 115 or 116 operate at one time. For instance, assuming that the wheel 115 be started and the feed lever 121 be given oscillation by the cam 124, it

will be obvious that the wheel will be a step by step rotation for 250 steps and at this time the feed dog. will reach the place a of the'omitted tooth 135 and the wheel 115 will stop. Just at this time, however, the wheel 115 communicates its motion to the wheel 116 and shifts this wheel 116 so that the pawl 126 engages the first tooth of the wheel 116 beyond the stopping point 135 .again, and so on.

Thisstarting of one wheel from the other is accomplished by two pins 141 and 142 disposed respectively upon the confronting faces of the Wheels 115 and 116. These pins are disposed each in the path of movement of the other pin. Thus, for instance, assuming that the pin 141 is temporarily in advance of thepin 142, it follows that upon a complete rotation of the wheel 115 that-the pin 141 will come up to a position behind the pin 142on wheel 116 and that the last stop of the wheel 115 will cause therefore a forward movement of the wheel 116 by the pin 141 contacting with the pin 142 and thus the wheel 116 will be caused to ad Vance. This wheel 116 makes one complete revolution until its pin 142 comes around behind pin 141, whereupon it again starts up Wheel 115. The pins 137 which ar disposed within the sockets or holes 136 or 138 are held in place by an annular pinguard (Figure 1) which is preferably madein one piece and has a width just sufficient to cover the holes 13 6 and 138, this pin guard hav ing inwardly projecting lugs 144 througl'i whichscrews 145 pass into the holes 139. These lugs obstruct these. holes 139 but very slightly so that they. do not practically interfere with the placing of the stop pins 140. The only purpose'of this pin guard is to keep the patternpins from falling out of thewheel, due to vibration, handling, etc. It will be noted from Figure 4 that the depending lug or tooth108 of the pattern lift direction.

of the holes 138, however, the corresponding levers 105 and 106 extend downward be tween the pin guard and the face'of the corresponding wheels 115 and 116 and are adapted to be engagedby' the pins 137, or more properly by the rollers mounted on these pins.

Referring to Figure 4, it will be seenthat ifthere are no-pins in either the holes 136 or the holes 138 that the pattern lift lever corconsideration will drop to its'lowest extent so that the tooth 92 will be engaged with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 76 and thus the ratchet wheel 76 will be given a counterclockwisestep by. step rotation so long as this pattern lift=leveris in itslowestposi tion. If, however, a pin 137 is disposed in one of the holes 136, then the corresponding pattern lift lever will be raised and this will raise the dog 91 so that the tooth 93 will engage with the ratchet wheel 76 and a reciprocation of this dog 91 will cause a mo vement of the ratchet wheel 76 in a clockwise If a pin 137 is disposed in one pattern lift level cannot fall to its fully integral piece (see Figure 21).

menses depressedposition and will not-be raised to its fully elevated position, but it will be shifted or held in a neutral position where neither of teeth 92' or 93 engage the ratchet wheel. Under these circumstances, of course, and with this dog 91 in its neutral position, the ratchet wheel 76 will not be given a step by step. rotation in either direction, the shaft 7 6 will be held from rotatlon, and obviously the cam 81 will not shift the needle bed at all. When the ratchet wheel 76 is given a. step by step counter-clockwise rotation, the needle bed will be shifted in one direction through its range,that is accordingto the number of teeth with which the ratchet wheel 76 is provided. If, on the contrary, the pattern lift lever is raised to permits the needle bed-tobe given a step by step shifting movement of four needles in either direction, but it will'be understood that the cam might be made to give a shifting movement of less than four or more than fourneedles.

Whenever a stop pin 140 strikes the trip lever 64, it causes the arm'67 to be shifted upward, lifting the bar 68 from its engagement with the latching plate 72, whereupon the spring 70 will cause this barto shift longitudinally, rotatingthe member 34 and oscillating the arm 40 andreleasing the clutch between the driving shaft and the driven shaft of the machine, thus immediately stopping the machine. By inserting. the automatic stop pin 140 in any of the holes 139, it automatically brings the machine to a stop and it is possible to insert as .many of these pins as the need requires so of the machine is for the purpose of permitresponding to the particular whee-l under to, stop the machine after a certain number of courses have been knitted so that garments or work maybe made of uniform length.

I have heretofore referred to the cams 124 and 103 as if they are two separate cams, 125

'but as a matter of convenience it is preferable to make these cams 103 and 124 in one Obviously, however, I do not wish to be limited to this. 7 g It is also preferable to dispose an anti-fric 1 tion thrust bearingbetween the cone clutch 18 and the bearing for shaft and I have illustrated in Figure 14 for this purpose a ball carrier 146 supporting a number of balls 147, and surrounding the shaft 15 and on each side of this ball carrier are disposed the annular disks 148. By this means nearly all friction and hardrunning are done away with. A thrust bearing at this point makes the machine easier to run and therefore cheaper in cost, saves power and does away with all troubles and friction caused by the pressure of clutch, which in other types of machines for this purpose is very great. Preferably the double cam composed of the cams 103 and 124 is provided with a hub 149 to cause the operation of the machine.

and is keyed to the shaft 126 and is held in placeon this shaft by means of a spring 150, as illustrated in Figure 21. While this is a preferable manner of holding the cam in place, I do not wish to be limited thereto.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The handle '28 may be used for the purpose of turning the shaft 26 over by hand for any number of times desired but ordinarily the machine is run .by power, this power being taken from any suit-able source, and as illustrated is transmittedto the pulley 21 from an electric motor. It will be understood, however, that power might be transmitted directly to the gear wheel 19 if desired. In fact, I donot wish to be limited to any particular manner of transmitting power tothe shaft 25, except that a clutch should be used between the power transmitting wheel 19 and this shaft. Such a clutch is designated 18. 'Previousto the operation of the machine the pattern pins 137 are inserted into the holes 136 and138, according to the manner which will be stated a little later, and. the stop pins 140 are disposed within the' holes 139. The clutch is then shifted by means of the handle 41 so as carriage travels back and forth in the usual manner above the needle beds and the movable needle bed 9 remains stationary, pro-, vided the pattern lift levers 105 are raised to their intermediate positions by pins in' the holes 138. When, however, a pin in one of the holes 136 strikes the corresponding pattern lift lever, the lever will be lifted and this will cause'the ratchet ,to be shifted one step. If there are two pins in two adjacent holes 136, the ratchet wheel 76 will be shifted two steps. If there are three pins, three steps, and four-pins, four steps. Thus during one, two, threeor fourcourses the movable needle bed "will be racked in one direction. If now the pattern lift lever should drop all the way down, due to there being no pins in the holes 138, the dog 91 will operate the ratchet wheelv 7 6 in the reversedirection forone, two, three or four steps and the shiftable needle bed will be The i shifted backone, two, threeor four needles in the reverse-direction to that in which it was first shifted. If, however, there are pins in the holesv 138, the feed dog 91 will be held in a neutral position and will not affect the movable needle bed at all. Thus it will be seen that by arranging the pins in the holes 136 or 138 or leaving out these pins altogether, the movable needle bed may be racked forward one, two, three or four needles or racked backward in the reverse direction, or the needle bed will be held in the position to which it has been shifted during any number of courses. The stop pins 139 cause the machine to stop at any desired o point for changing the yarn, decking, widening or fashioning, these stop pins operating in the manner heretofore described.

The setting of the pattern and-stop pins in the pattern wheel is as follows: In setting up these wheels, they are set just as though they were one wheel, each tooth on each wheel corresponding to one course or round of the machine. As an example, assume that it is desired to make agarment on the machine that-has 250. courses or rounds. 1 You would in-this case use wheel only,.as;this wheel has 250- teethon it, although each wheel may have a greater'or less number of teeth if desired. For making a garment or article with 200 rounds, all of the teeth'on wheel 115 would not beused. Therefore, in making a number of these garmerits it is obvious that you would have to build or continue on on wheel 116. You would have 250 courses on wheel 115 and 250 courses on wheel;116, or 500 courses in all.

forations 136 or 138 on wheel 115 and there.

You would therefore use 200 of the perwou'ld be 50 of these pairs of perforations, or in other words 50 courses, left. This 50 courses is continued on wheel 115'so that this wheel has made a complete revolution and 50 courses have been knitted on the second garment. At this point, the pin, or stop 141 has come in contact with the pin or stop 142. This occurs just as the feed dog 126 reaches the omitted tooth, so that when the wheel 115 comes to a stop, the wheel 116 is started or shifted past its omitted tooth. VJ heel 116 therefore then starts up. 50 courses on the second garment have been made on wheel 115 and this leaves rounds or courses on wheel 116. There are 100 courses left on wheel 116 which are not used at all, although wheel K116 keeps right on To take I make articles having each 205 rounds or courses, the wheel 115 is set up 205 settings,

which will make a com lete arment. The

, P c V e.

another example, if you wishto balance or 45 courses is controlled by wheel 11-5and when tha-tis completed the wheel 116 is started for the balance or 160 courses. Fhen by putting ina. special starting pin X 'in anyone of the perforations 139, wheel 115 is tripped off and wheel 116 runs without any pins to the. startingpoint, where it stops, The perforations 189 extend entirely-throughthe wheel and this. special starting pin is inserted from outside. Thus the pin Xinay be screwed in any one of 249 holes. The object of this arrangement is to get the required number of rounds which could not be had withva single wheel with any set number of teeth as you could not make up except by this method.

The pattern pins are set asfollows: As before explained, when there are no pins disposed in theopenings 137 and 138, the corresponding pattern lift lever will drop downito its full extent so that the tooth 92 will engage the ratchet wheel 76. When there is a pin disposed in any of the holes 138, this pin when it strikes pattern lift lever will lift the lever, to a neutral position. WVhen thereis a pin disposed in the outer row of holes 136, then the pattern lift lever will be lifted and the feed dog will be shifted to its highest position so that the tooth 93 will engage the tooth on ratchet wheel 76. Thus by disposing the pins 137 in the holes 136 or 1-38 or removing the pins entirely from said holes, the ratchet wheel 76 and therefore the needle bed may be shifted in one direction orthe other or not shifted at all. As an example and taking 12 holes 136 and 138,'the pins might be arranged as follows Courses f 1 2 3 zl- 5. 6 7 s 9 10 11 12 Holes'136 X 0 X 0 X OX 0 0 'X 0 '0 Holes 138"" O 0 O O '0 0 O X 0 O X 0 In #1 pair of holes a pin is placed in the hole 136. In the second radial row of holes no pins are placed, in the third radial row a pin is placed in opening 136, in the fourth no pins are placed, in the fifth and seventh pairs a pin is placed in the uppermost holes, in the eighth a pin is placed in opening 138, in'theninth there are no pins, in the tenth a pin is placed in opening 136, in the eleventh a pin is placed in opening 138, and in the twelfth round or course no pins are used. lhe

action of this will be tl atin the first course the ratchet wheel 76 will move one step in one direction, in the second course the rat-chet wheel will move one step in the oppositedirection, in the third course it will reverse its movement and move one step inthe first named direction, in the fourth course it will move in the opposite direction, in the fifth course in the first named direction, and

so on until the seventh course is reached. At

the eighth course, there being a pin in the correlating the table-given above with the movements of-the'dog Qlyill the first course the dog will be'up, inthe secondlcou-rse down, in the third coursaup, in the .fourth down,,in the fifth up,.in the sixth down in the seventh up, inthe eighth course'the dog will be in neutral position, in theninth course the dog willlbe downpinthe tenth course the dog-will be up, in the eleventh course the-dog will be in neutral-position, and in the twelfth course the dog wilLagain be up. It follows thereforethat theineedle bed will be ,racked each round on seven rounds andstand still on the eighthwround, the ninth roundit will rack again, in the tenth rounid'it will rack, initheneleventhit will stand .still, and i-n-the twelfth round different patterns, any pattern desired Which may be formed byrackingmaybe made. By the use of these pattern wheels Ihave provided means whereby-the machine may be set up todo any work very simply, accurate.- ly and quickly. Thesettingof-the-pattern maybe accomplished-in about half the time it takes to set up a chain'pattern machine and after the pattern-has been decided upon or made up the machine may be set up ready to run in about from five toten minutes. It is possible with this machine to make any of the following garments or articlesz backs, fronts, sleeves, pockets, 4 cut. collars, "borders, zig-zag, French-rack or any of-the many racks which are required tobe used in this class of machine. In fact,"the pattern wheels will permit. the maohine to make anything that is possible to me made on a flat bed knitting machine and do it automatically.

It will be noted that I have eliminated springs, chains, cams andunnecessary parts.

The various members of which the machine is constructed are simple, stout, andthere is no part which is so delicate as to beliable to breakage or getting out of order. The

pattern and stop pins are slipped into the and provided an automatic racking mechanism, automatic counting mechanism, and automatic stopping mechanism.

While I have illustrated a mechanism which in actual service has been found thoroughly effective, it is obvious that many minor changes might be made in the details of the machine without departing from the principle thereof as stated in the accompanying claims.

I claim 1. A flat bed knitting machine having a bodily shiftable needle bed and means for racking the needle bed automatically in cluding a plurality of rotatable pattern controlling members movable through a closed path, means on each pattern controlling member for stopping it when it has moved through its entire path of movement, and means on each of said pattern controlling members for causing the automatic starting of another pattern controlled member upon the completion of movement of the first named member.

2. Aknitting machine having a shiftable needle bed and means for shifting the needle 'bed automaticallyincluding a plurality of pattern wheels, each having adjustabl pats tern controlling members, and means on each pattern wheel for causing the auto- 'matic starting of an adjacent pattern wheel when the first pattern wheel has made a complete revolution.

3. A knitting machine having a shiftable needle bed and means for shifting the needle bed automatically including two pattern wheels, each having adjustable pattern con trolling members, means on each pattern wheel causing its stoppage when it has made a complete revolution, and means on each pattern wheel automatically causing the starting of the other pattern wheel upon the stoppage of one pattern wheel.

4. A .flat bed knitting machine having a bodily shii'table needle bed and means for racking the needle bed automatically including an oscillatable member, an oscillatabl ratchet wheel operatively connected thereto to oscillate it and having two series of relatively reversed teeth, a feed dog therefor having upper and lower teeth adapted to engage with the two sets of teeth of the ratchet wheel, a power actuated oscillatable member supporting said feed dog, a pattern wheel, means on said member for giving a step'by step rotation to the pattern wheel, and adjustable pattern controlling members carried by the pattern wheel and adapted, accordingto their position, to bring either of the teeth of the feed dog in engagement with the ratchet wheel or to dispose the teeth of said feed dog in a neutral position.

5. A flat bed knitting machine having a bodily shiftable needle bed and means for racking the needle bed automatically including an oscillatable ratchet wheel having two sets of reversed ratchets, a dog having two teeth, each coacting with one of said sets of ratchets, a pattern wheel having peripheral teeth, a power operated oscillatable member having a dog engaging with the teeth on the pattern wheel to thereby give the pattern wheel a step by step movement, said oscillatable member being operatively connected to the first named feed dog to reciprocate it, and adjustable means on the pattern wheel for shifting the feed dog to bring eithertooth into engagement with its corresponding set of ratchets or shifting the feed dog to a neutral position out of engagement with the ratchet wheel.

6.A flat bed knitting machine having a bodily shiftable needle bed and means for racking the needle bed automatically including an oscillatable. ratchet wheel having two sets of reversed ratchets, a dog having two teeth, each coacting with one of said ,sets of ratchets, a pattern wheel having peripheral teeth, a power operated oscillatable member having, a dog engaging with the teeth on the attern;wheel to [thereby give the pattern 7 w eel a step by step movement, said oscillatable member being operatively connectedto the, first V-named feed dog to reciprocate it, the pattern wheel being provided with two series ofsockets, each series of sockets having a socket for each tooth of the pattern wheel, the sockets of one series bein radially disposed with relation to the soc ets of the other series, pins adjustable in the two series of sockets, and means engageable by said pinsacting to shift the feed dog to move either one of its teeth in engagement with the appropriate series of ratchet teeth'or to shift the feed dog to a neutral position entirely out of engagement with the ratchet teeth.

7 A fiat bed knitting machine having a bodily shiftable needle bed and means for racking the needle bed automatically including an oscillatable ratchet wheel having twosets of reversed ratchets, a dog having two teeth, each coacting with one of said sets of ratchets, a pattern wheel having peripheral teeth, a power operated oscillatable member having a dog engaging with the teeth on the pattern wheel to thereby give the pattern wheel a step by step movement, said oscillatable member being operatively connected to the first named feed dog to reciprocate it, the pattern ;wheel being provided with two series of sockets, each series of sockets having a socket for each tooth of i series of sockets, a pattern lift lever disposed to engage-the feed dog to shiftit and having a portion thereof: adapted to be disposed in the path of m ve'ment' of said pins whereby to shift t fe d ogint eng w either set of ratchets or into a neutralposition out of engagement with either set of atohe s.

8 A flat bed knitting-machine having a bodily shiftabl needlebed and means for racking the needle bed automatically inuding an scillat e atche e h ing two sets of reversed ratchets, a dog having two teeth, each coact-ing with one of said sets otratchets, a pattern wheel having peripheral teeth, a power operated oscillata'ble member having a dog engaging with the teeth on the pattern wheel to there by give the pattern wheela step by step movement, said oscillatable member being operatively connected to the first named feed dog toreciprocate it, the pattern wheel being provided with two series of sockets. each series of sockets having a socket "for a h. oot o the pat rnvh' e p n a justable inthe two' series of sockets, a pat- V tern liftlever pivotally mounted at one end and having a portion thereof 'disposedto be, engaged by said pattern pins onthe pat tern wheel; and shifted thereby, and a resililitly suppor ed mem er ar i upon he paaemnn lever and engaging with the ee dq 5 I a 9- ,Aflatbeidkn t ng mach-inelm i g a bod ly hi t bl 'n edl /bed d mea f au ma ica y, rack g the, needl bed in lu ing an oscillatable ratchet wheel, a dog coacting with said ratchet wheel to. shift it, a patternelement, means iongiving a step by ep movem t ,t the patt r e nt in one direction, means for reciprocating the dog andpivotally supporting it, a pat-- tern lift lever havinga portionthereofdisposedtobeengagedby the pattern control ling element and shifted thereby, and resilit supp rt ng eans'carr d upon he p tternlift lever and engaging withgthe said do i 10. A flat bed knitting machine having-a bodily shiftable needle bed and means for racking the needle bed automatically in cluding an oscillatable ratchet wheel having two sets of reversed ratchets, a. dog havifil two teeth, each coacting with one of said sets of ratchets, a pattern wheel havingperipheral teeth, a power operated oscillatable member having a dog engaging with the teeth on :the pattern wheel to thereby give thepattern wheel a stepby step .movement, said oscillatable member being operatively connected to the jfirst named feed mg to reciprocate it, thepattern wheel being provided withtwo series of sockets, each series of sockets having. a socket for each tooth of the pattern ,WllGQLplIlS adjustable incthe two series of sockets, a pattern lift lever pivotallymounted atone end and having a portion thereof disposed to be engaged by said pattern pins on the pattern Wheel and shifted thereby, .a supporting member including a longitudinally extending bracket ot'teeth on the ratchet wheel, saidieed'dog being mounted for longitudinal reciprocation inthe plane ofthe ratchet wheel and for oscillationjn said plane, power-operated means for simultaneously reciprocating the feed dog and giving a stepwby step movement to the pattern memberfan d adjustable means on the pattern member for bodily raising or lowering the feed uo ro,

ring either i of its teeth "into engagement with th'e appropriate ratchet' teeth ontlie ratchet wheel, or shittingthe tee'ddog to a neutral position withboth o't its-teeth out of engagement with-the ratchet wheel;

12. A'flat bed knitting machine having abodily shittable needle bed and means for racking the needle bed automatically including an oscillatable ratchet wheel-having-two sets of ratchetteeth and operatively connected to tlie needle bed 'to shift it, a teed'dog havingtwo teeth, each coacting with one set of the ratchet teeth, saidteed dog being mounted "for longitudinal reciprocating movement and for oscillating movement, a pair of pattern Wheels, pattern controlling .members adjustable ,in said pattern wheels and adapted ,tooscillate the .f'eed dog into engagement with either set ot-teeth or into a neutral positionoutof engagement with either set otteeth, and power op-v erated means .fonreciprocating the feeddog and giving a step by step movementfto the pattern wheels, and means 'forcausing one of said pattern ,wheelsto stop when'it'has completed a revolution and automatically startingthe other pattern wheel and causing the last named pattern wheel-to stop when it has completed a revolution and ,automatical 1y causingthe starting otthe first pattern wheel. V v V f 13. Aflat bed'knittingn achine having a bodily shittable needle bed andmeans' for racking the needle bed automatically including, an oscillatable ratchet wheel, having two opposed sets of ratchetteeth and operatively connected to the nee'dlefibed'to shift it, a feed doghavingtwo teeth,.-each coactingwith one set of'ratchet teeth, the 'feed dog being mounted for longitudinal reciprocating movement and for oscillating movement in the plane of the ratchet wheel, a pair of pattern controlling elements disposed adjacent to each other operating in parallel planes and moving through a closed path, adjustable pattern controlling mem bers on said elements and adapted to oscillate the feed dog into engagement with ei-' ther set of teeth or into a neutral position out of engagement with either set of teeth, power operated means for reciprocating the feed dog and giving a step by step movement to the pattern elements, means located on each element for causing each of said pattern elements to stop when it has completed a revolution and automatically starting the other pattern element and causing the last named pattern element to stop when it has completed a revolution and automatically causing the starting of the first named pattern element, said means comprising a member disposed on one pattern element and adapted to engage a like member on the other pattern element just before the first named pattern element has completed a rev olution and cometo a stop'to thus start the second named pattern element.

14. A knitting machine having a shiftable needle bed and means for shifting the needle bed automatically including a pattern wheel having a circumferentially extending series of sockets in one side face thereof, pattern pins insertible in said sockets, and a guard detachably engaged with the pattern wheel and normally disposed over said pattern pins and preventing their release from the sockets.

15. A knitting machine having a shiftable needle bed and means for shifting the needle bed automatically including two rotatable pattern elements disposed in parallel planes and movable in a closed path, each of said pattern elements having adjustable pattern controlling members and each of said pattern elements having ratchet teeth, means common to both of said elements for giving a step by step movement to said elements and including a reciprocatable feed dog engaging the teeth and coacting with both of said elements, the ratchet teeth of each pat tern element having one tooth cut out whereby said pattern element shall make a complete revolution under the action of the dog and stop, the confronting faces of the pattern elements having inwardly projecting members, each disposed in the path of move- 7 of the other pattern element.

16. A knitting machine having a shiftable needle bed and means for shifting'the needle bed automatically including two pattern wheels having adjustable pattern control ling members, each pattern wheel having ratchet teeth upon its periphery, a power operated reciprocatable feed dog engaging the teeth of both sets of pattern wheels, each pattern wheel having one tooth cut out whereby said pattern wheel shall make a complete revolution under the action of the dog and stop, the confronting faces of the pattern wheels having inwardly projecting members, each disposed in the path of movement of the other and each disposed in radial line with the cut-out tooth of the pattern wheel whereby to cause the automatic starting of one wheel upon the automatic stoppage of the other wheel.

17 In a knitting machine, a pattern controlling wheel having a circumferentially extending series of ratchet teeth andhaving two circumferentially extending series of sockets on one face of the wheel, pattern controlling pins insertible in said sockets, a third circumferentially extending se-- ries of sockets, knitting machine controlling pins operating independent mechanism from the pattern controlling pins and insertible in any one of said last named sockets, and means engaging the ratchet teeth of the pattern wheel to give the pattern wheel a step by step rotation, the'sockets of all of the series being disposed in radial alignment with each other and with a corresponding ratchet tooth.

In testimony whereof I hereiuito aflix my signature.

EDWARD FRANK CUMISKEY. 

